Exactly. Kinsella's wife is cited for one of the sources of the rumours of more allegations on the way ...

For any honest person, it is important to separate the serious transgressions from one-sided allegations made from decade-old memories. There are lines of propriety -- personally, I think laying hands on a woman is a border you shouldn't cross without clear signs that it's OK. And there should be corroborating evidence of an allegation before the crown proceeds to trial.

We brace for what is coming. If it were Morneau, it wouldn't make me happy if the evidence is akin to what they're claiming against Brown. I don't want to see next-morning regrets turned into a malicious sexual allegation against anybody.

However, he also says the information comes not from the target of the behaviour, but from a third party — another NDP MP — who was made aware of it.

Singh says an independent investigator has been appointed to look into the allegation and that while Weir will remain a member of the NDP caucus, his duties will be curtailed pending the outcome.

Singh says the allegations, contained in an email received by the party, involve "harassing behaviour" towards a female party member.

Weir, 35, a former economist with the United Steelworkers union, was first elected in 2015 in the riding of Regina-Lewvan.

In a statement that was issued prior to Singh's news conference, Weir protested his innocence, but also pledged support for the party's investigation.

"As politicians, we are placed in a position of public trust. We are, and should be, held to the highest possible standards and it is absolutely right that our party has a process to investigate any allegations of harassment," the statement said.

"However, I do not know what is being alleged. I am confident that I have not harassed anyone and welcome a prompt investigation to clear my name."

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This a corrected story. An earlier version said the MP had been accused of sexual harassment.

OTTAWA — The Conservatives are now ready to ask potential candidates specifically whether they have ever been accused of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Cory Hann, a spokesman for the party, says the questionnaire that anyone seeking to join a nomination contest must complete was updated Jan. 31.

That was the same day Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer promised an independent, third-party investigation into how party brass handled allegations of sexual misconduct against former Conservative MP Rick Dykstra.

Last week, a report in Maclean’s magazine said allegations involving Dykstra and a Parliament Hill staffer were brought to the attention of the 2015 Conservative campaign team, but seemingly resulted in no action being taken against the longtime Ontario MP.

Two of the most powerful figures in the party at the time — former prime minister Stephen Harper and his then chief of staff, Ray Novak — have now acknowledged publicly they were aware of the allegations. Both said last Friday they allowed Dykstra to remain on the ballot because no criminal charges were laid.

Dykstra, who has denied the allegations, ultimately lost his 2015 re-election bid and went on to become president of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, a position he resigned shortly before Maclean’s published its report.

Patrick Brown, another former Conservative MP, is also facing allegations of sexual misconduct. He denied them before resigning as leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives last month.

Hann says the previous version of the questionnaire, which is part of the vetting process, asked would-be candidates whether they had ever been under investigation by a professional body for alleged misconduct, even if they were subsequently cleared.

They were also asked if they had ever been under investigation by police, even if charges were never laid.

Both of those questions remain, but the one explicitly referencing accusations of “improper sexual behaviour” is new.

Hann says the Conservatives are still laying the groundwork for the third-party investigation, but that more changes could come once it’s complete.

“I think a lot will be able to be answered once we have those investigation results in hand,” Hann said Sunday, adding that the probe’s recommendations “will shape what we do as far as vetting goes.”

Hann said the party is currently consulting with potential investigators on how the review should take place.

( when I first heard Steve Paikin was facing allegations , was like really ? he seems like the most boring guy on tv ever . but then I saw who they were coming from and it all made sense , perhaps she's trying to get her name in the news , in advance of another mayoral or city council run ? )

( the allegations date back to 2010 and TVO says he will remain on the air pending an investigation , really TVO would actually consider firing the only tv anchor on any profile they have over an allegation from 2010 which doesn't even appear to have any evidence , from a person not know as being highly credible to begin with )

The Globe and Mail‏Verified account @globeandmail · 2h2 hours ago

#Breaking: TVO launches probe of allegations against host Steve Paikin, who will remain on air pending the results https://trib.al/jX1docM

Paikin may be 'boring' but he is among the best at moderating people with radically different views and is fair to each of them.

Paikin hosted one episode in which Jordan Peterson faced off with two professors and a transgendered writer -- a female-to-male change -- who was countered by a male-to-female change. The two sides aired their various points of view and confronted each other with criticisms. There was no nastiness. and it was an orderly discussion of a topical subject. Nobody was mocked or ridiculed.

This is the session that Leslie Sheppard of Wilfred Laurier University played five minutes in her tutorial which causes a huge stir.

Could it be that this made Paikin a target? Frankly, I need more than Progressive Conservatives do before I start believing a guy like Paikin to be a sexual blackmailer as described. Secondly, if Sarah Thomson was running for mayor after a very successful career in business, she's not a rational target for this kind of pressure-play. There has to be some corroboration. Sorry.

But that's just me. Who else is so old-fashioned? The presumption of innocence is now a historical relic. I suppose, in the natural order of things, Paikin will be injured for life. His employer might take him 'off camera', perhaps even fire him. That, surely, is Ms. Thomson's goal. And then what? Who will replace him that can make women feel safe?

Which is it? A real sexual impropriety or the use of sexual charges to clear the position for a female moderator?

Paikin may be 'boring' but he is among the best at moderating people with radically different views and is fair to each of them.

Paikin hosted one episode in which Jordan Peterson faced off with two professors and a transgendered writer -- a female-to-male change -- who was countered by a male-to-female change. The two sides aired their various points of view and confronted each other with criticisms. There was no nastiness. and it was an orderly discussion of a topical subject. Nobody was mocked or ridiculed.

This is the session that Leslie Sheppard of Wilfred Laurier University played five minutes in her tutorial which causes a huge stir.

Could it be that this made Paikin a target? Frankly, I need more than Progressive Conservatives do before I start believing a guy like Paikin to be a sexual blackmailer as described. Secondly, if Sarah Thomson was running for mayor after a very successful career in business, she's not a rational target for this kind of pressure-play. There has to be some corroboration. Sorry.

But that's just me. Who else is so old-fashioned? The presumption of innocence is now a historical relic. I suppose, in the natural order of things, Paikin will be injured for life. His employer might take him 'off camera', perhaps even fire him. That, surely, is Ms. Thomson's goal. And then what? Who will replace him that can make women feel safe?

Which is it? A real sexual impropriety or the use of sexual charges to clear the position for a female moderator?

I had forgot about that episode and the WLU student who had played it , it does seem odd that he is suddenly being accused of something that happened 8 years ago .

although he has interviewed a lot of different people over the years but you have to wonder if there is a reason he's being targeted ?

does Thompson have a personal grudge or reason to dislike him ?

many in the Toronto media don't believe her accusations , I've seen a few comments on twitter so far and most say she isn't credible and call BS at this point

and being that it allegedly happened 8 years ago she doesn't have any evidence to prove anything wrong actually happened but she made the accusation anyways

Former PC leader Patrick Brown tweeted Tuesday that the "truth will come out" about the sexual misconduct allegations made against him.

Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, February 6, 2018 3:12PM EST
Last Updated Tuesday, February 6, 2018 4:06PM EST

TORONTO -- The former leader of Ontario's Progressive Conservatives broke his silence Tuesday, saying "the truth will come out" about the sexual misconduct allegations that prompted him to step down abruptly last month.

In a brief message posted on Twitter, Patrick Brown said that while he applauds the .MeToo movement, which has sparked an international conversation on sexual harassment and assault in recent months, false allegations "undermine that good work."

Brown, who had not publicly spoken since his resignation in late January, said he is "immensely grateful" for the support he and his family have received.

He has vehemently denied the allegations against him, which were made to CTV News and have not been independently verified by The Canadian Press. His sister, Stephanie Brown, has also denounced the allegations as a "political hit."

Brown's resignation plunged the Progressive Conservatives into turmoil in late January, forcing the party to select an interim leader and plan a leadership race that will be held before the spring election.

So far, three high-profile candidates have announced they will vie for the job, including the politician who came in second to Brown in the last leadership race.

Christine Elliott, a former Ontario legislator, launched her campaign via social media last week, days after former Toronto city councillor Doug Ford announced his bid.

Caroline Mulroney, a Toronto lawyer and the daughter of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, threw her hat in the ring over the weekend.

Those looking to lead the party have until Feb. 16 to register as candidates. Votes will be placed online in early March, with the results announced on March 10.

The party has also had to grapple with the resignation of its president, Rick Dykstra, in the face of reported sexual assault allegations that he denies.

The two departures have led some to question the party's processes for dealing with such allegations, particularly after a longtime Progressive Conservative legislator said she flagged rumours about Brown to his campaign team weeks earlier.

Lisa MacLeod said the allegations related to "inappropriate touching," among other things, and were similar to those that prompted Brown to resign. MacLeod said she was told the allegations were unfounded.

I am tempted to make a crack about the presumption that women never lie ... not about something like THAT!

Sorry, fellas, women lie, just like men do. Some of you probably think I am a terrible cad for speaking such thoughts out loud, but there you are. I have extensive experience with women, and trust me '-- they lie. None of you guys have (obviously) been betrayed by a woman, but when it happens -- oops, if it happens (it probably won't happen to you) then you'll know they can lie, and do, skillfully too. As good as Vinnie and 'Fast Eddie'...

TVO host says sexual harassment claims against him are '100 per cent false'

Steve Paikin
TVO journalist Steve Paikin is seen in this file photo.

Daniela Germano, The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, February 6, 2018 6:19PM EST
Last Updated Tuesday, February 6, 2018 7:46PM EST

TORONTO -- A veteran journalist with Ontario's public broadcaster fired back and denied a sexual harassment allegation made by a Toronto woman, calling the claim "complete fiction."

Steve Paikin, host of TVOntario's flagship current events program "The Agenda," broke his silence Tuesday with an extensive statement on Facebook, where he said he was "gobsmacked" by the allegation outlined to him in an email from his accuser over the weekend.

"Even though I knew the allegations were 100 per cent false, I did what I suspected was the appropriate thing to do and immediately passed the email on to my superiors at TVO," Paikin wrote. "I knew the charges were bogus, but I knew I owed it to my employer to be totally transparent about all of it."

Paikin said he spent two hours Sunday with TVO management and its lawyers "answering every imaginable question."

His comments come after TVO announced Monday that an independent third party will investigate the allegations, during which time Paikin will continue to host "The Agenda."

Paikin commended the broadcaster Tuesday for bringing in the investigator, adding that "I have no doubt that a thorough and fair analysis of the allegations and the parties involved will point to the truth."

Paikin and TVO have said the claims were mounted by former Toronto mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson, who Paikin said he has known professionally for more than a decade.

In a post Friday on Thomson's website Women's Post, she wrote that a political talk show host, who she did not identify, "asked me if I would sleep with him" after attending a lunch at a Toronto restaurant in 2010. She said her assistant was present for the meeting.

She said she "politely" declined his offer, then went to the washroom and called her campaign manager, who advised her to leave, which she said she did.

Thomson has not responded to requests for comment from The Canadian Press.

Before Paikin released his Facebook statement, Thomson tweeted Tuesday, "Women don't come forward because they get attacked on social media. Did Paikin go public to scare other women from coming forward? Sad how easily he's playing people."

The allegation comes amid a social justice movement under the .MeToo and Time's Up banners, which has sparked an international conversation on sexual misconduct, harassment and assault.

Paikin said the movement is "too important to be undermined by spurious allegations. The only good thing about this has been receiving the huge number of emails and phone calls from people who believe me and are prepared to say so publicly."

He said he wrote the statement, independent from TVO and his lawyers, that he has had trouble sleeping since the allegation was made.

"You've defamed me Sarah. I have no idea why, but you have. And I simply can't allow that to stand," he wrote. "The quest to reclaim my reputation, which you've tried to destroy, begins now. I look forward to vindication."

I am tempted to make a crack about the presumption that women never lie ... not about something like THAT!

Sorry, fellas, women lie, just like men do. Some of you probably think I am a terrible cad for speaking such thoughts out loud, but there you are. I have extensive experience with women, and trust me '-- they lie. None of you guys have (obviously) been betrayed by a woman, but when it happens -- oops, if it happens (it probably won't happen to you) then you'll know they can lie, and do, skillfully too. As good as Vinnie and 'Fast Eddie'...

But tempted as I am, I won't mention it.

the Steve Paiken situation shows just how out of control the #metoo movement has really become , for someone to be allowed to accuse one of the most respected tv hosts in the country with a slanderous allegation that they have no proof even happened , is just rediclous .

no one even seems to believe Thompson at all , at this point she's provided no proof anything wrong happened and was already well known for having made accusations against the late Rob Ford , as to why she decided to make an accusation against this reporter ? who knows

Apparently, she offered to sleep with Conrad Black if he'd do an interview with her. He had a programme on TV at the time, I believe. When that became known by the public, she denied it, saying it was a joke.

Was that in the period when she accused Paikin of making his comment? Because his comment could certainly be a joke in that context. She's not the kind of 'woman that anyone with half a brain and a job in the media would want to squeeze sex out of.

The public won't notice it because that's a defined blind spot. We aren't allowed to collect data on how women use sex in the workplace ... because ... that would almost be ... (gasp) ... prostitution! How far do you think a lady real estate agent would go to get a listing? Yeah, ok ... blind spot.

“The question is not if #MeToo has gone too far, but if #MeToo has gone far enough,” Sandberg said on Bloomberg Television. “Because it can’t just be a moment in time, where people raise their voice. These brave women who have raised their voices, they want longstanding change.”

Sandberg, who has long advocated for women in leadership roles, said there needs to be institutional policies that prevent harassment, and a system of due process when it does happen. Most of all, she said, “we need to end the culture of complicity” -- people’s instinct to look the other way rather than get involved. “We’re all responsible for what goes on in the workforce,” she added.

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